‘It Happened Naturally’: Bernadette Scozs Breaks Silence On Romania’s Table-Top Celebration Row

Last Updated:July 16, 2026, 4:22 pm IST

Romania’s women’s team faced backlash for celebrating their 2026 World Table Tennis Championships medal by climbing on the table.

Bernadette Scozs in action at Ultimate Table Tennis (Picture credit: Butterfly UTT)

Two months back, the 2026 World Table Tennis Championships in London witnessed an unexpected controversy after Romania’s women’s team, which bagged its first World Championships medal in 26 years since the 2000 edition in Malaysia, came under fire for celebrating by climbing onto the competition table, a gesture many criticised as disrespectful to the sport.

After Romania beat France in the quarterfinals, they confirmed a bronze medal for themselves. As soon as the win was confirmed, the Romanian paddlers rushed onto the court in celebration.

Moments later, however, the celebrations sparked controversy as all five members of the team, including star player Bernadette Szocs, climbed onto the competition table wearing their shoes and waved to the crowd.

Fans were quick to criticise the celebrations, with Japanese media highlighting the backlash. Reactions ranged from “There is not a shred of respect for the table tennis table,” to “The height of rudeness, showing no consideration whatsoever for the players who will use that table next,” while others described it as “an unacceptable act that would be unimaginable in Asian countries such as Japan or South Korea.”

What prompted the celebrations?

“It was a bit risky because I did not know the rules. It happened very naturally. I jumped onto the table without thinking. It is a celebration I have had since I was young, so it just came instinctively,” Bernadette said while replying to a query from News18 Sports during a joint media interaction at Ultimate Table Tennis season 7 in Goa.

“I also did not expect the rest of the team to join me at the table. Later, I heard that if anything had happened to the table, we could even have been disqualified and lost our medal,” Bernadette added.

The 2023 European Games gold medallist said that she was relieved that nothing untoward happened and that, despite the controversy, the team had created history by winning Romania’s first World Championships medal in 26 years.

“I have already told my teammates that next time, if I win and jump onto the table, they should stay on the ground. I will come down and celebrate with them because we don’t want to take that kind of risk again,” Bernadette said.

The 2024 European Championships silver medallist is the reigning European Games women’s singles champion and a three-time Olympian, having represented Romania at the Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

At Ultimate Table Tennis, Bernadette is rubbing shoulders with the likes of Syndrela Das and PB Abhinandh, India’s rising paddlers, whom she believes have a very bright future ahead of them.

How does Bernadette share her experience with these youngsters?

“It is always tough in the beginning when you don’t have much experience. Every season in this league has been different for me because I have played for different teams, each with its own mentality and environment,” Bernadette said.

“It has not always been easy, but you learn that you have to adapt to the team you are with, the people around you and the way things are done. As you grow, you naturally gain more experience, but it is also very important to have experienced players around you who can guide you and help you develop,” Bernadette added.

The 2018 Europe Top 16 gold medallist believes one of Dempo Goa Challengers’ biggest strengths this season is the blend of youth and experience. Bernadette said that having experienced paddlers like herself and Alvaro Robles alongside youngsters Syndrela and Abhinandh would help the younger players make better decisions in pressure situations, adding that the balance within the team gives Goa a strong opportunity of challenging for the title.

Read More